• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.414-418
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• 2012

The quantity of research on microbial fuel cells has been rapidly increasing. Microbial fuel cells are unique in their ability to utilize microorganisms and to generate electricity from sewage, pig excrement, and other wastewaters which include organic matter. This system can directly produce electrical energy without an inefficient energy conversion step. However, with MFCs maximum power production is limited by several factors such as activation losses, ohmic losses, and mass transfer losses in cathodes. Therefore, electron acceptors such as nitrate and ferric ion in the cathodes were utilized to improve the cathode reaction rate because the cathode reaction is very important for electricity production. When 100 mM nitrate as an electron acceptor was fed into cathodes, the current in single-cathode and dual-cathode MFCs was noted as $3.24{\pm}0.06$ mA and $4.41{\pm}0.08$ mA, respectively. These values were similar to when air-saturated water was fed into the cathodes. One hundred mM nitrate as an electron acceptor in the cathode compartments did not affect an increase in current generation. However, when ferric ion was used as an electron acceptor the current increased by $6.90{\pm}0.36$ mA and $6.67{\pm}0.33$ mA, in the single-cathode and dual-cathode microbial fuel cells, respectively. These values, in single-cathode and dual-cathode microbial fuel cells, represent an increase of 67.1% and 17.6%, respectively. Furthermore, when supplied with ferric ion without air, the current was higher than that of only air-saturated water. In this study, we attempted to reveal an inexpensive and readily available electron acceptor which can replace platinum in cathodes to improve current generation by increasing the cathode reaction rate.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.646-652
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• 2022

The dead-end anode (DEA) system is a method that closes the anode outlet and supplies fuel by pressure. The DEA method could improve fuel usage and power efficiency through system simplification. However, flooding occurs due to water and nitrogen back diffusion from the cathode to the anode during the DEA operation. Flooding is a cause of decreased fuel cell performance and electrode degradation. Therefore, tthe structure and components of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) should be optimized to prevent anode flooding during DEA operation. In this study, the effect of a porous flow field with metal foam on fuel cell performance and fuel efficiency improvement was investigated in the DEA system. As a result, fuel cell performance and purge interval were improved by effective water management with a porous flow field at the cathode, and it was confirmed that cathode flow field structure affects water back-diffusion. On the other hand, the effect of the porous flow field at the anode on fuel cell performance was insignificant. Purge interval was affected by metal foam properties and shown stable performance with large cell size metal foam in the DEA system.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.965-970
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• 2012

In this study, the water distribution in the cathode side of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is visualized using a neutron imaging technique at the Neutron Radiography Facility (NRF), KAERI. It is difficult to quantify the water content in the cathode side because of $CO_2$ gas. A compared open circuit voltage (OCV) image, relative $CO_2$, and water distribution can be visualized by the neutron imaging technique. This means that the neutron imaging technique is useful for the optimization of the flow field design and the establishment of water management, and, in turn, for the improvement of the cell performance.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.8-15
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• 2007

Liquid water in flow channel is an important factor that limits the steady and transient performance of PEM fuel cells. A computational fluid dynamics study based on the volume-of-fluid [VOF] multi-phase model was conducted to understand the two-phase flow behavior of liquid water in cathode gas channels. The liquid water transport in $180^{\circ}{\Delta}$ bends was investigated, where the effects of surface characteristics (hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces], channel geometries (rectangular and chamfered corners], and air velocity in channel were discussed. The two-phase flow behavior of liquid water with hydrophilic channel surface and that with hydrophobic surface was found very different; liquid water preferentially flows along the corners of flow channel in hydrophilic channels while it flows in rather spherical shape in hydrophobic channels. The results showed that liquid water transport was generally enhanced when hydrophobic channel with rounded corners was used. However, the surface characteristics and channel geometries became less important when air velocity was increased over 10m/s. This study is believed to provide a useful guideline for design optimization of flow patterns or channel configurations of PEM fuel cells.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.104-114
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• 2019

Energy is an essential driving force for modern society. In particular, electricity has become the standard source of power for almost every aspect of life. Electric power runs lights, televisions, cell phones, laptops, etc. However, it has become apparent that the current methods of producing this most valuable commodity combustion of fossil fuels are of limited supply and has become detrimental for the Earth's environment. It is also self-evident, given the fact that these resources are non-renewable, that these sources of energy will eventually run out. One of the most promising alternatives to the burning of fossil fuel in the production of electric power is the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The PEM fuel cell is environmentally friendly and achieves much higher efficiencies than a combustion engine. Water management is an important issue of PEM fuel cell operation. Water is the product of the electrochemical reactions inside fuel cell. If liquid water accumulation becomes excessive in a fuel cell, water columns will clog the gas flow channel. This condition is referred to as flooding. A number of researchers have examined the water removal methods in order to improve the performance. In this paper, a new water removal method that investigates the use of vibro-acoustic methods is presented. Piezo-actuators are devices to generate the flexural wave and are attached at end of a cathode bipolar plate. The "flexural wave" is used to impart energy to resting droplets and thus cause movement of the droplets in the direction of the traveling wave.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.808-812
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• 2013

A new type of microbial fuel cell (MFC) with anaerobic membrane filter was designed to produce bioelectricity and to treat domestic sewage at relatively high organic loading rate (OLR) of $6.25kgCOD/m^3/day$ and short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1.9 h. A following aeration system was applied to ensure effluent water quality in continuous operation. Glucose was supplemented to increase the influent concentration of domestic sewage. Influent substrate of 95% was removed via the MFC and following aeration system and the corresponding maximum power density was $25.6mW/m^3$. External resistor of $200{\Omega}$ and air-cathode system contributed better MFC performance comparing to $2000{\Omega}$ and dissolved oxygen as a catholyte.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.6-13
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• 2022

The electrostatic phenomenon seriously issued in extreme ultraviolet semiconductor cleaning was studied in junction with molecular dynamic aspect. It was understood that two lone pairs of electrons in water molecule were subtly different each other in molecular orbital symmetry, existed as two states of large energy difference, and became basis for water clustering through hydron bonds. It was deduced that when hydrogen bond formed by lone pair of higher energy state was broken, two types of [H₂O]⁺ and [H₂O]^- ions would be instantaneously generated, or that lone pair of higher energy state experiencing reactions such as friction with Teflon surface could cause electrostatic generation. It was specifically observed that, in case of electrolyzed cathode water, negative electrostatic charges by electrons were overlapped with negative oxidation reduction potentials without mutual reaction. Therefore, it seemed that negative electrostatic development could be minimized in cathode water by mutual repulsion of electrons and [OH]^- ions, which would be providing excellences on extreme ultraviolet cleaning and electrostatic control as well.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 2010

The feasibility of lead removal by electrolytic coprecipitation was investigated. Electrolysis bath was divided into anode and cathode chamber with anion exchange resin filled membrane. Sea water was electrolyzed and pH of the electrolyte in cathode chamber was increased. Consequently it induced the formation of $Mg(OH)_2$ and $CaCO_3$. The colloidal type precipitates, hich have high surface area, adsorbed lead ions in sea water and coprecipitated. Sea water electrolyses were conducted at different current density. Concentrations of Mg, Ca and Pb in the solution were measured with titration and ASV method. Morphology and crystallography were analyzed with SEM, EDS and XRD. As pH and current density increased, most of lead ions in the sea water were successfully removed.

• Advances in materials Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.63-76
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• 2015

The energy crisis involving depletion of fossil fuel resource is not the sole driving force for developing renewable energy technologies. Another driving force is the ever increasing concerns on the air quality of our planet, associated with the continuous and dramatic increase of the concentration of greenhouse gas (mainly carbon dioxide) emissions. The internal combustion engine is a major source of distributed $CO_2$ emissions caused by combustion of gasoline derived largely from fossil fuel. Another major source of $CO_2$ is the combustion of fossil fuels to produce electricity. New technologies for generating electricity from sources that do not emit $CO_2$, such as water, solar, wind, and nuclear, together with the advent of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and even all-electric vehicles (EVs), offer the potential of alleviating our present problem. Therefore, the relevant technologies in $LiFePO_4$ as cathode material for Li-ion batteries suitable to the friendly environment are reviewed aim to provide the vital information about the growing field for energies to minimize the potential environmental risks.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.95.2-95.2
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• 2005